Lucknow, May 24:

A lawmaker facing eight criminal charges, including murder, vowed to improve law and order in Uttar Pradesh today, a day after he was sworn in as a minister.

Anand Sen Yadav, a legislator from the temple town of Faizabad, who is to stand trial accused of murder and attempt to murder, took the oath of office in the state capital Lucknow yesterday.

“Improvement in law and order is my top priority,” Yadav told the Associated Press today .

“The charges leveled against me are politically motivated and these do not make me a criminal,” he said.

Yadav contested and won his seat in the recent state elections while still in prison. He was released on bail on Tuesday.

Politics in several Indian states is dominated by local strongmen who often use violence to intimidate rivals.

Many lawmakers in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh states are facing criminal charges, including murder and kidnapping.

Indian law only prohibits those who have been convicted from running for office. With India’s backlogged legal system, that often takes years.